10 Things I Love About You
by noideagirl
Summary: James and Lily are still arguing constantly. But what will be the thing that will change their relationship? Oneshot


"Hey… look at that!" someone whispered.

"What's going on?" another person asked loudly.

"They're at it again" a third voice answered.

------

She glared at him, livid with rage. "YOU PATRONISING, SELF-CENTRED, CONCEITED… BOY!"

He stood in front of her, leaning against the wall. "You've said that before… I think you're running out of insults, Lily flower." He said calmly, somehow easily covering the hurt he felt at her words.

Lily flung up her arms in anger. "You are INSUFFERABLE JAMES POTTER!" she shot him one last angry glare before flouncing down the hall to class.

A shout of laughter followed her down the hall.

"You really have done it this time Prongs" The guy who laughed said, elbowing James in the ribs.

James frowned, turning to his friend. "Padfoot that really doesn't help. Not that this isn't entirely your fault anyway."

His friend raised his hand to his chest with mock horror. "My fault? My dear Prongs, I have no idea what you could be talking about. How is it my fault that your dear lady friend clearly despises you?"

James droop his head, suddenly not caring that everyone could see him. "She really does hate me, doesn't she?"

His friend abruptly stopped smiling. "James, I'm sorry. I didn't…" he stopped talking, realising that nothing he could say would make him feel better.

James shook his head. "Never mind Sirius… she hates me, she always has. Maybe I should just give up."

Sirius looked at his face, startled. "Give up? Prongs, giving up?" he was too shocked to continue.

James looked up, breaking into laughter at the expression on Sirius' face. "No need to look absolutely stunned."

Sirius laughed. "Well really! I've never heard of you giving up before."

James sighed. "Yes but… I've liked, no loved, her for years, and she's never even treated me as anything except scum on her shoes."

Sirius patted James awkwardly on the shoulder. "You know what I've always said."

James nodded.

----

"It wasn't his fault. Didn't you see Lily, Sirius was the one behind it all"

Lily turned to her friend. "Really?" she asked her voice suddenly free of anger.

Her friend sighed and shook her head. "I swear, anyone would think that you were only angry because it was James that did it."

Lily didn't respond, just shot a glare at her friend, as she copied down some notes from the board.

The girl sitting on the other side of Lily leaned across to talk to Lily's friend. "Of course she was. Lily looovvvveesss James."

Lily glared at the girl. "Shut up Alice, or I'll tell Frank how much you adore him."

Alice blushed. "Fine. But just because I shut up, doesn't mean it's not true."

Lily attempted to ignore her.

-----------

Lily was in the Heads Common room, attempting to do homework.

She heard the door open, then shut. The silence resumed. She knew that James was in the room, but she ignored that fact, and tried to continue writing her Potions essay.

Her concentration was wavering, as thoughts of James flickered in and out of her head. She frowned, chewing absent-mindedly on her quill.

She stopped for a moment, shook her hair out of her face.

Listening intently to the silence in the room, she pulled out a spare piece of parchment, and began writing the words that leapt into her mind.

She stopped, chewing her lip. She knew in her mind what she wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come out.

She fiddled with a lock of hair, as she tried to construct the sentence correctly.

Suddenly, she smiled, and started writing again.

Half a page of writing had been written when she stopped.

She grinned, pleased with her work. She pushed the parchment away, having briefly forgotten that James was in the room with her.

"What are you writing Lily?" His voice came from above her.

She looked up, startled. "James! I forgot you were there."

He smiled, reaching down to pick up the parchment she had just written on. "What's this? It doesn't look like homework."

"Oh that's nothing. I…" she stopped as she tried to take it from his hands.

He smiled at her reassuringly. "Gosh Lily. Anyone would think you're hiding something from me" he said, jokingly.

"James…" she said pleadingly.

He didn't listen and began to read it aloud.

"I love the smile that you give to everyone,

And the way it reaches your eyes.

I love that your hair makes it look like,

You've just gotten out of bed.

I love your baggy jacket; full of pockets,

And the t-shirt you wear underneath.

I love those runners that you always wear,

No matter what the occasion.

I love the comprehension of everything,

That you hide behind your eyes.

I love that you understand everything I say,

Without me having to explain.

I love the sparkle in your eyes,

That you get when you're amused.

I love that you always defend me,

Even when I don't need to be defended.

I love that you remember everything I tell you,

Yet expect me not to remember a thing.

I love the time I spend with you,

I'm sick with nerves, but ecstatic anyway.

Most of all, I love you,

For everything you are."

He stopped reading, an inscrutable expression on his face.

"Who's the lucky guy?" he asked in an emotionless tone.

She looked at him nervously, her hand over her mouth. Her lips were trembling.

He looked into her eyes. "Well…? Or is it a secret?"

She lowered her eyes to stare at the table. "I…. it doesn't matter anyway. I've… well I've lost my chance with him."

He stared intensely down at her. "Any guy who would even consider giving up on you isn't good enough for you, Lily."

She gave a short, sarcastic laugh. "When you were chasing after me, didn't you ever think that it would be better to just give up?" she said, suddenly feeling defensive and irritated.

He smiled sadly. "Of course. But when did I ever say that I was good enough for you." He looked down at his feet, not wanting to meet her eyes.

She stood up abruptly, the chair scraping across the floor loudly. "What do you mean James?" she asked quickly, adding bitterly "I don't understand you."

He looked into her face. "You have always been the one that I wanted. But I've always known that I'll never be the one that you want. You've constantly treated me like I wasn't worth your attention. I've finally realised that you were right."

She stared at him blankly. "How…. How can you say that about yourself?"

He smiled cynically. "Isn't that what you were trying to tell me?"

She started, looking at him angrily. "No! Of course not! If you think I'm that sort of person I don't know why you ever liked me!" she said violently.

He raised his eyebrow at her. "So I am good enough for you?"

She didn't respond her hand twitching as she stopped herself from reaching out to him.

"If I'm good enough for you, why have you always rejected me?"

She sighed, staring at her half-finished potions essay on the table. "Maybe because I'm not good enough for you" she said so quietly that he almost didn't hear.

He slammed his fist onto the table, making everything, including Lily jump.

"Is that what this is about? You don't think you're good enough?"

She refused to meet his eyes.

He sighed, and walked around the table. He reached up towards her, and lifted her chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"Lily…you're the most amazing girl I have ever met. I don't think I could ever find somebody as great as you are, and even if I did, I certainly wouldn't love them as much as I love you."

She felt a solitary tear run down her face. She bit her lip, before whispering pitifully "James…."

He wiped away her tear with his thumb, and then he lowered his face down to meet hers.

She sighed, pressing her lips firmly against his.

He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"James… James I love you." She whispered against her lips.

"And I love you, Lily flower. I always have." he whispered back.


End file.
